He tasted of caramel, and I fought to not enjoy his mouth on mine, because there was a reason . . . wasn’t there? The Drakaina in me, though, was quite enjoying the new sensations of a Greek god running his hands over my back, hips, and butt. Power crackled where his hands traced, a slow burning fire that called to parts of me I was doing my best to bring back under control. He pulled back, his chest heaving and his eyes full of desire.

I blinked up at him, then shoved him backward hard enough that he hit the far wall with a bounce. “That was dirty pool!”

“That was desire, plain and simple.” He grinned at me, all wolfy and wild. Damn, it made my blood pound, that single thing. I drew in a breath, then another, as I tried to get myself under control. Even with Remo I’d held back, and I’d wanted him from the beginning. What was going on?

“This isn’t like you, Smithy. And it’s not like me, even if I am a siren.” The words slid out of me, and I looked up at Ernie. “Did you shoot him with one of your arrows or something?”

Smithy jerked as though he had indeed been shot. Ernie flew right up to the ceiling. “Now, what would make you say that?” There was too much innocence in his denial, and his blue eyes were far too wide. The fat-bottomed jerk!

I frowned at Ernie. “Ernie! You shot him, didn’t you?”

Ernie was shaking his head, but I saw the glint in his eyes. “Aphrodite doesn’t deserve him, and he’s a good guy. One of the best. And you don’t deserve to be jerked around by Remo. You’re . . . you’re a good friend. Both of you are. I want you to be happy, and there is a lot of possibility there. You two could be amazing together. This is my job, remember?”

“You don’t have to keep reminding us of that. We know it’s your job,” I said, then swallowed hard. How could I be mad at what he was saying? He wanted us both to be happy and thought he could help us along. That’s what friends did for one another.

Apparently Smithy wasn’t so moved by Ernie’s speech.

“You little shit! You aren’t supposed to be shooting the pantheon! It’s against the rules.” I almost asked if it was rule number three but wisely kept my mouth shut.

He moved toward the stove and flicked one of the burners on. The flame shot up far higher than it should have.

“Don’t, you’ll burn my bakery down!” I yelled.

“How about he’ll fry my wings off?” Ernie bit out.

Smithy ran his hand through the flame and coaxed it up into his hands. He rolled it back and forth like a baseball.

“Eros, you’ve gone too far this time.”

“I was really trying to help. I could see that you liked her, that you wanted her. More than that, you respect her!” He held both hands out to Smithy. “I mean, you almost kissed her on your own, without me. We all know it.”

Smithy threw the fireball at Ernie, and the cherub dodged it. Which meant it slammed into my ceiling.

“Stop it!” I grabbed Smithy’s arm, which spun him to face me. I cupped his face with my hands and pushed my siren abilities into my voice. “Don’t hate him for wanting me to be happy. He’s right, this was between us before he interfered.”

His blue eyes softened, then immediately hardened over again. “Don’t try to control me. I’ve had enough of that shit.”

I let him go, pushing away the urge to keep my hands on his face. “Then don’t try to hurt him. He did this because he cares about you. And me.”

Smithy shook his head, turned around, and flicked off the stove, then held a hand up to the ceiling, and the flames went out. He grabbed the edges of the stove and hunched his back. “When did you shoot me, Eros?”

Ernie gave an audible gulp. “This morning.”

I frowned. “I was still with Remo this morning.”

Ernie closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. “The rumor was already out there that he was going to dump you. That the big bads coming into town wouldn’t help him oust Santos if he was still seeing you. I already knew what he’d choose. I knew that he didn’t really love you, Alena. I’m sorry. I’d hoped I was wrong for your sake.”

The back door flung open, and Tad strode in, a grin on his face. “What have you baked up for me today?” He stared at Smithy’s back. “Um . . . what’s the captain doing here? You in trouble again?”

Dang it all, I’d not introduced Tad to Smithy for who he really was. “Tad, this is Hephaestus, part of the Greek pantheon. You and I know him as Smithy.”

“Shit on a brick, that explains a few things.” Tad breathed out.

Smithy turned, his trademark icy glare once more in his eyes as he stared at my brother, any trace of the seducer who’d kissed the bejeebers out of me gone. And then his eyes flicked over to me, softening ever so imperceptibly.

“Alena.” He paused as if he didn’t know what to say, shook his head, and then closed his mouth with an audible click. Not another word passed his lips as he strode out of the room. He slammed the door behind him, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Or was that regret? How much was Ernie’s arrow, and how much was me feeling something for Smithy that I didn’t want to feel?

Did I really want to find out? I had to admit one thing, even if it was only to myself. Maybe there was something that Ernie had pushed forward with his arrow, but . . . maybe that wasn’t the whole reason I felt drawn toward the rugged Greek god of the forge.